"Magic
lantern" was the name given to the forerunner of the modern
slide-projector, and during the nineteenth century and early twentieth
century, every local post of any fraternal lodge worth its salt, from the
Masons and Odd Fellows to the Knights of Pythias, owned a magic lantern and a
collection of glass magic-lantern slides. The slides were used in initiatory
rites and for general instruction. A complete set of Masonic slides,
including those relevant to Scottish Rite, York Rite and Eastern Star and all the related appendant bodies would number well over 500 slides.

This Magic Lantern dates to the late 1870's. These were the days before
electricity and light bulbs. The base of the lantern was filled with
kerosene and the wick was lit and adjusted similar to a hurricane
lantern. The slides were slid onto the track one at a time projecting
the image on a wall or screen.

They
aided the Lecturer in his ritual instruction to the new initiate. The above
slide depicts the Three Great Lights in Freemasonry... The Holy Bible, Square
and Compasses on the sacred Altar. Also shown is a warrant. The
lecturer teaches the candidate the importance of each.

"Masonic
- 14a - Entered Apprentice's Carpet"

An
extraordinary Masonic magic lantern slide. It is, in effect, a
"review" of certain other Masonic magic lantern slides. It
depicts, through a series of "thumbnails," the images from most of
the lantern slides relevant to the Entered Apprentice Degree of Masonry.

The
set of magic lantern images relevant to the Entered Apprentice Degree has a
basic 14 slides in it. This sometimes expanded to as many as 33 slides, since
some of the 14 images were offered with additional slides providing
"details." (A good example would be Entered Apprentice slide #13,
"Points of Entrance." The four Points of Entrance -- Fortitude,
Prudence, Temperance and Justice -- would all be depicted on slide 13. But
also available, for the more affluent Lodges, was a set of four additional
slides, 13a-13d, each depicting an individual Point of Entrance.)

An
extraordinary Masonic magic lantern slide. It is, in effect, a
"review" of certain other Masonic magic lantern slides. It
depicts, through a series of "thumbnails," the images from most of
the lantern slides relevant to the Fellowcraft Degree of Masonry.

The
set of magic lantern images relevant to the Fellowcraft Degree has a basic 7
slides in it. In most sets, the slides are numbered consecutively,
following the 14 slides of an Entered Apprentice's set. (So the first
slide in a Fellowcraft's set frequently bears the number "15.") The
7 slides sometimes expanded to as many as 34 slides, since some of the 7
Fellowcraft images were offered with additional slides providing
"details." (A good example would be Fellowcraft slide #18, "The
Seven Liberal Arts." The seven liberal arts -- Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic,
Arithmetic, Geometry, Music & Astronomy -- would all be depicted on slide
18. But also available, for the more affluent Lodges, was a set of seven
additional slides, 18a-18g, each depicting an individual liberal art.)

An
extraordinary Masonic magic lantern slide. It is, in effect, a
"review" of certain other Masonic magic lantern slides. It depicts,
through a series of "thumbnails," the images from most of the
lantern slides relevant to the Master Mason Degree of Masonry.

The
set of magic lantern images relevant to the Master Mason Degree has a basic 16
slides in it. In most sets, the slides are numbered consecutively, following
the 14 slides of an Entered Apprentice's set, and the 7 slides of a
Fellowcraft's set. (So the first slide in a Master Mason's set frequently
bears the number "21.") The 16 slides sometimes expanded to as many
as 38 slides, since some of the 16 Master Mason images were offered with
additional slides providing "details." (A good example would be
Master Mason slide #28, "Three Steps." The three steps -- Youth,
Manhood & Old Age -- would all be depicted on slide 28. But also
available, for the more affluent Lodges, was a set of three additional slides,
28a-28c, each depicting an individual step.)

There was also an additional set of twelve slides for the Master Mason's
Degree, usually numbered one through twelve, beginning with "The Master
Builder" and ending with "The Clefts of the Rocks."